Participants were presented with opportunities to get out and partake in activities of all kinds at the Govs Creative Arts Festival on Sept. 14. Photo by Cody Helger | THE ALL STATE.
On Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Downtown Commons and Austin Peay State University collaborated with multiple organizations to produce a new event: the Govs Creative Arts Festival. This event showcased many creative outlets, with many of the activities hosted by APSU professors and students.
To make this event possible, as well as free to the public, APSU’s College of Arts and Letters (CoAL), the Community School of the Arts (CSA), the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) and Clarksville-Montgomery County Parks and Recreation all partnered together.
CSA also received funding through the $15,000 Google Data Center Grant in January of 2024. This was intended to help make art experiences in Clarksville more accessible and affordable.
The festival had a wide range of activities, from an instrument petting zoo provided by the APSU Department of Music, to a printmaking session with Professor Patrick Vincent, provided by the APSU Department of Art + Design.
Sarah Spillers, an APSU alumna who teaches at a middle school in Clarksville as well as mixed media painting classes at Austin Peay State University, offered a painting activity at the festival. People were encouraged to trace a picture of a shoe and paint it.
The Govs Creative Arts Festival hosted performances for the public on the Downtown Commons’ stage; the highlights included opera, spoken word, as well as musical theatre. These performances were provided by APSU students and faculty.
APSU Alumni leads Shalom Movement Studio dance performance at the Govs Creative Arts Fest at Clarksville’s Downtown Commons on Sept. 14. Photo by Cody Helger | THE ALL STATE.
There was also a booth featuring the Roxy Theatre, Clarksville’s local theatre located off Franklin St., which showcased their upcoming programs and shows.
This art festival encouraged members of the Clarksville public to express their creativity and participate in the arts, promoting art programs that take place in our city, and showcase the talent of APSU students and faculty.
